The FP&A Blueprint for Leaders to Build From Scratch in PE Spin-Offs with Gowthaman Balendra

FP&A Unboxed

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In this episode of the FP&A Unboxed Podcast, host Tejas Parikh speaks with Gowthaman Balendra, the Head of FP&A at Verian Group. With over 7 years of experience in senior finance roles, Gowthaman shares his journey from a senior finance manager to heading the FP&A function at a fast-paced, private equity-backed company.

Gowthaman shares the key challenges he faced in the first 90 days of his new leadership role, his approach to building a data-driven FP&A function, and his perceptions into the evolving role of finance professionals in today’s fast-paced business environment. He discusses the importance of aligning financial strategy with business goals, the value of automation in FP&A, and building strong relationships with C-suite executives. This episode is packed with actionable insights for finance professionals aiming to become strategic partners within their organizations and to lead FP&A teams toward success.

Key Takeaways

Strategic Finance: Finance guides the business like a radar and rudder, not just a back-office function.

Data Integration: Combining operational and financial data drives deeper insights and better decisions.

Aligned KPIs: Simple, clear KPIs aligned across departments prevent silos and promote success.

Storytelling: Translating data into relatable stories influences cross-functional leaders.

Agile FP&A: Frequent performance reviews enable early issue detection and quick adjustments.

Actionable Forecasting: Forecasts should connect directly to strategy and department goals.

Early Leadership: Strategic finance leadership early on boosts valuation and readiness.

AI Insights: AI helps predict customer behavior and reduce churn proactively.

Curiosity: FP&A pros must stay curious, dive deep, and challenge assumptions.

Noteworthy Quotes

"Having a personal strategy is crucial – write it down, define your mission, and break it into actionable goals." – Gowthaman Balendra

"Data inputs are the foundation of your analysis. Garbage in, garbage out." – Tejas Parikh

"In FP&A, you are the gatekeeper of the single source of truth in the business." – Gowthaman Balendra

"The role of FP&A is not just about reporting numbers but about telling the story behind those numbers." – Gowthaman Balendra

"The future of FP&A is about making data-driven decisions in real time, not waiting for reports." – Gowthaman Balendra

Key Timestamps

[00:00:00] Coming up next & Call to Action

[00:01:10] Guest Introduction: Gowthaman’s career and leadership journey

[00:04:08] The challenges of building an FP&A function from scratch

[00:07:30] Personal career strategy and how it guides decision-making

[00:11:00] Key differences between senior finance roles and FP&A leadership

[00:17:00] First 90 days: Assessing the FP&A function and setting priorities

[00:21:30] Quick wins for building credibility in a new leadership role

[00:25:00] Understanding data inputs: The importance of clean data

[00:28:00] The importance of automation and its role in FP&A

[00:32:30] How to become a strategic finance business partner

[00:36:00] The future of FP&A in 3 to 5 years: Virtual analysts and live data

[00:49:45] Skills and Certification looking to acquire at the Start of FP&A

[00:53:52] Closing thoughts: Building strong relationships and adding value

FOLLOW OUR GUEST GOWTHAMAN BALENDRA ON:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gowthaman-balendra/

Website: https://www.veriangroup.com/

FOLLOW OUR HOST TEJAS PARIKH ON:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejasparikh/

Website: https://aksharconsulting.co.uk/

FOLLOW FP&A UNBOXED PODCAST ON:

Website: https://aksharconsulting.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aksharconsultingltd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aksharbusinessconsulting

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/22UeMzvc1G7rTk56EVVfKW?si=fa8c7bbb6448462c

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fp-a-unboxed/id1802152900